Storm kills 23, at least 1,000 missing

A violent tropical storm yesterday has left 23 people dead, hundreds injured and more than 1,000 missing in four southeastern districts, officials said.

Accompanied by strong wind and rain, the storm devastated thousands of homes leaving tens of thousands without shelter. Telephone communication, transportation and power remain out after hundreds of trees and electric poles were uprooted and fell on the roads.

The death toll is expected to rise as more than 1,000 fishermen are still missing, officials at various districts confirmed.

According to the Meteorological Department, a seasonal depression in the Bay of Bengal caused the storm and an alert was issued Tuesday. Gaining strength, the storm ripped through small islands and the coastal areas of Noakhali, Bhola, Chittagong and Feni districts. Noakhali was the worst hit, recording 12 deaths.

âMost people died when walls and trees fell on them,â said Sirajul Islam, deputy commissioner of Noakhali.

Islam added that relief efforts including money and food distribution to victims are in full swing.